


Hard Vacuum

by akire_yta



Series: prompt ficlets [441]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 03:58:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10779105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta
Summary: Anonymous askedPrompt: unexplained radio silence from Thunderbird 5, and the rest of the gang getting progressively more concerned... -jontracy





	Hard Vacuum

Alan’s staring at his homework when it starts. 

“S-S-Scott?” Brain’s voice precedes him into the room. “I’ve been detecting some anomalous readings off Thunderbird Five.”

Scott’s shoulders are loose and easy as he thumbs open the comes. As the others drift closer, Alan can see the tension start to build as his hails are left unanswered. “Come in, Thunderbird Five.”

Alan closes out his homework. “He did say he was planning to replace the comms array units? Maybe there was a hiccup?”

Scott’s already setting into the co-pilot’s seat. “Well, let’s go help him.”

As they sank away, Alan could see their entire family’s matched worried expression as they gathered to watch him and Scott go.

The ride up to Five is an easy arc of rocket power and physics. Five hangs like a jewel in the dark sky, her rings still.

“Lights are on,” Alan quips, trying to break the fragile tension.

Scott’s already pushing up his restraint. “Let’s hope someone’s home.”

Alan grabs Scott’s wrist as they glide into the airlock. “His helmet,” he says, nodding to the empty space where John’s EVA gear usually rested. “You check inside, get EOS up. I’m going to do a sweep outside.”

That Scott nods curtly and doesn’t argue underlines the worry that is leaking off him in waves.

Alan drops back into Three, grabs his board, heads out through the cargo bay doors. He’s not as familiar with Five as John is, but he knows the main sights – skyhook and space elevator, solar arrays and generator exhaust. Everything in EVA is starkly black and white, no graduated contrast. There’s no air for anything else; hard vacuum accepts nothing but a binary.

Alan almost trips over John’s leg, a soft curve in a world of straight lines. There’s no moving fast in zero gravity, but Alan grabs anyway, hand on slack wrist, hauling against nothing to bring himself face to face with his brother.

Hard vacuum, he’ll remember much, much later, also means no-one can hear you scream.


End file.
